Big Stories Little Actors excites children

Conductors, engines, train wheels, “Nerts” and more were acted out by little ones Dec. 19 at Lorain County Metro Parks’ French Creek Nature Center for their monthly Big Stories Little Actors program.

The returning program at the Nature and Arts Center, 4530 Colorado Ave. in Sheffield Village, invited children from preschool to kindergarten to enjoy a holiday treat with a book reading of the “The Polar Express,” including themed crafts and activities of the book and film.

To get the youngsters moving and testing their acting skills, the program started off with exercises for the children to get comfortable and familiar with one another, said Brian McNally, instructor of the program and cultural arts programmer.

Before introducing “The Polar Express,” McNally flamboyantly acted out as characters or objects to familiarize and introduce the children to the theme of the book.

Little ones tested their speed from first to third gear, acted out as a train and all of its parts and even impressioned McNally’s imaginary character, “Nerts,” to get the kids in motion.

After becoming more familiarized with the book, its message and feelings of the characters, the youngsters used their knowledge of the book and decorated their own trains out of toi- let paper rolls with other items. Ky’Liyah Fisher, 4, of Lorain, participated in the program featured with The Polar Express.

Ky’Liyah said she really enjoyed running fast and acting like a train with the other children.

Her mother, Judy Koziura, said she loves coming to the Nature and Arts center and that the Big Stories Little Actors program is always a good time.

“I’m always looking for something to do with my kids,” Koziura said. “We come here all the time for programs and play in the play room all the time.”

McNally said getting a chance to be silly with the children and giving them the chance to act out and have fun is something he really enjoys.

“Getting (the kids) to think about being in someone else’s shoes and the idea of transforming into a character,” is what McNally said the program is all about.

For this event, he said he wanted children to think about what it would be like to have a train in their front yard and developing feelings as if it was really happening.

McNally has been acting out and doing impressions with children for the past three years and said the program has been monthly for the past year due to the amount of children and families in attendance.

With each program, he said he noticed many youngsters returning and spots new faces much of the time.

During each event, McNally said he focuses on books that are related to the time of year and something that can give children an activity that shares the same concept.

“This is a way to introduce them to the idea of performance by putting a story into their bodies,” he said.

ERIC BONZAR — THE MORNING JOURNAL Angela Santiago, 4, gives her best “Nerts” impression, an imaginary character designed to get kids in motion, during Lorain County Metro Parks’ Big Stories Little Actors’ Cultural Arts Program on Dec. 19, at the French Creek Reservation.

ERIC BONZAR — THE MORNING JOURNAL Cultural Arts Programmer Brian McNally leads a train of children during Lorain County Metro Parks’ Big Stories Little Actors’ Cultural Arts Program on Dec. 19, at the French Creek Reservation. The program focused on trains by incorporating movement, rhythm, drama storytelling and crafts.

ERIC BONZAR — THE MORNING JOURNAL Emma Verbickey, 4, and her mother, Shannon, of Vermilion, create a cardboard train during Lorain County Metro Parks’ Big Stories Little Actors’ Cultural Arts Program on Dec. 19,